Burden of Eternity
by HoNdeR
Summary: A homage to the first story about NaruHina that I ever read, the one that made me realize I loved writing. And also an Homage to Fanfiction, the site that helped me nurture this talent. A big "Thank You" to everyone, I hope that I'll return in full force one day )


_**Burden of Eternity**_

Gleaming white eyes gazed beyond the horizon from their high perch, watching as the morning mist began to settle in the mountain range before them. It was as cold a morning as any other, yet the owner of the pallid pearls was not deterred by the whimsical weather as she breathed in heavily upon the aroma of nature.

Three long years she had stayed upon this mountain, within the confines of this wooden castle. In all this time, the scenery before her had never ceased to amaze her, to bring awe to her heart and a small smile to her lips. Soon though, very soon, this would have to become yet another memory, something that she would remember fondly when she went to bed at night back home, something that would remind her, in the turmoil of times to come, how serene the world can truly be.

"Admiring the view?" a familiar voice asked behind her. She didn't turn to greet the visitor of her perch, she didn't need to. The grass ruffled as he sat down behind her, opening his legs to get closer, his arms slowly snaking their way around her waist before gripping her tightly but softly, with a touch only he knew how to make, with a warmth that was clearly his and his alone.

His scent overpowered her senses "It's the last time I'll be able to, remember?" she smiled, but threads of sadness decorated her soft tone. A small chill run up her spine as he held her close and with a small, content sigh, she sank into his embrace, slowly resting her head on his shoulder, her eyes never leaving the range of mountains before her.

"How could I forget?" he said simply, his own cerulean gaze drifting between her beautiful form and the scenery, having trouble deciding which one he found more appealing. He smiled to himself. Both had their merits.

She shifted a little in his lap "I mean... This place feels like home now. Here is where I found myself, here is where I found... you." she spoke with a small tremble, cringing at the thought of her real home, where they were very unlikely to be accepted together, where prejudice still prevailed.

"Were it not for you dear... I wouldn't have had found you either." he said with a small laugh, bringing a smile to her lips. He always knew how to lift her spirits, how to make her forget that there existed anything in the world besides him and those blue eyes she held so dear in her heart.

"Thank you..." she whispered softly as one of her own hands found its way around him, hugging him closer to her. She wanted to feel more of him, she wanted his warmth to envelop her entirely, to make this majestic place a paradise, her own little sanctuary.

"For what?" he said with a hint of amusement in his voice. How he loved making her blush, making her tell him how she felt for him. He never grew tired of hearing it, he never, not for one moment, wanted to stop hearing it.

"For being there..." she said simply, the hand that touched his chest now clenching at the fabric of his blouse, small tears escaping her white eyes, running down her pale cheeks like tiny waterfalls.

He couldn't tell her not to cry, all he could do was hold her tightly, bury his nose in her hair and lose himself in their scent, like he so much loved to do.

"Had you never been there, I would have never met you. Had you never been there, I would have never known you. Had you never reached out to me... I wouldn't be who I am today. So yeah... I guess I thank you too, for being there even when I wasn't looking." he whispered in her ear. She began to sob quietly in his chest, defiance growing within her chest at their fate, anger flowing in her tears. Her heart was in pain and all she could do was cling to him.

Time seemed to pass slowly, as if the sun himself was reluctant in his ascent, as if he wanted to give them more time. But try as he may to defy time and the principles of the world around him, soon the mist began to clear as morning gave way to noon.

"We have to go now..." her sobbing had stopped at some point yet her body still trembled. His arms had never left her, clinging to her form. He tensed at her words, his grip tightening in desperation.

"Already...?" he said in a voice that had grown a little hoarse. She looked into his blue eyes, watched as tears began to well up behind them.

"I don't like this any more than you do dear... but we can't exactly stop it, can we?" she said with a sad smile, her pearly gaze doing its best to encourage him. Looking at her pale face, the face of the one he loved, he couldn't help himself anymore, he couldn't hold back his feelings any longer.

Quietly, like a small river running down the ranges of fate, his tears fell and his expression clenched in one of pain. He tried to stop, but his heart denied him.

"I... I'll always be here, okay...?" she spoke softly, caressing his wet cheeks as if she cradled something precious, something that meant the world to her.

"I'll always be here, wherever I may go. We will always meet again, here, at this place. It's a promise." she said and smiled at him, an expression serene and loving, a side of her that she showed only to him.

Slowly, she closed her eyes and reached up, her soft pink lips touching his for a few, eternal moments. She withdrew ever so slowly and the tears had stopped, if only for a moment, if only so that he could gaze at her with clear eyes, so that he could imprint her in his mind forever, so that he could remember this moment clearly forever.

In those last moments, she found that she couldn't hold back either. Yet she forced her lips to smile, as widely as they could, pouring all her emotions, all her wishes and all her dreams into those words.

"I love you..." she said softly as her warm hand pressed against his cheek. And then, just as the last of the mist cleared, she slowly vanished in a shower of golden dust, mouthing the words of her heart over and over again as tears fell from her white eyes. He held her, closer and closer, with eyes closed as he sobbed and cried, trying to memorize every tiny bit of her shape, of her warmth.

And in a moment, it all vanished. His hands gripped empty air and the image of her was lost once again in the bowels of forever.

With streaks of salty water still running rampart, he stretched a hand, touching the cold, stone tablet before him. He traced with a trembling finger the etched letters, he touched her name as if trying to touch her again.

"I love you too..." he said as he leaned forward, resting his forehead on the grass before him.

"It's the promise of a lifetime..." he whispered to himself, the memory of her tearing at his heart, the ghost of her existence pulling at his soul.

Yet he would have to move forward, he would have to rise from here and trail down the mountain, back home, where the rest of his life without her awaited him.

But for now, if only for now, he would sit here, where he was allowed to be weak and powerless, and he would cry. He would cry until no more tears remained.

**Author's Note: This is a small homage to the first story I read and loved about NaruHina, DamenWren's "Two Halves". I also wrote this to help some of my fellow college students with their English vocabulary and expression, using a bit more advanced grammar. We are to take on IELTS, a quite difficult English Proficiency diploma and most of them aren't even able to read this story x) I hope that whoever read it was helped by it, even a little.**

And of course, since NaruHina is implied but not outright mentioned, I couldn't keep this away from Fanfiction. It is also an Homage to the amazing times I had writing on this site and believe me, I miss it very much, but my schedule doesn't allow me much time to write my stories. Even this little thing I had to squeeze in x)

I hope you enjoyed. Till next time,  
HoNdeR All Mighty


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